Monday, July 22, 2013

Frank writes...I was out at IRM on Sunday working on grid boxes again... wasn't I doing this last month? Anyway, this time it was reassembling a grid box for the 36 that had been taken apart by others a few months back. As we are now pushing to get the car running this year, it was decided that we may be wanting this grid box at some point soon.

So above is the completed project. All of the box frame painting had already been done but I wire-wheeled contact faces on grid elements, procured one needed replacement mica tube, and also hunted down some miscellaneous hardware. The elements in this box ended up being "shorter" than in the other one; when taken off of the car there was about 1-1/2" of mica washers at the near end of the box acting as spacers, but Rod recommended using steel pipe and steel washers instead so as to be able to tighten down the box better. So we did that, with Rod cutting the pipe to length. With a quick lift from Ahrendt Taxi Services over to Barn 8, the box was deposited at the 36 so that it can be installed.

And above is a Pyrene fire extinguisher that was donated. This may end up in one of the CA&E cars; it's not exactly the right type but is very close, and will be a good stand-in for the foreseeable future. Little touches like having original-type fire extinguishers in the cars can really add to the rider's overall experience, I think.

I was in the office doing paperwork for much of the Diesel Parade but I did make it up to Car Line Junction in time to see one of this year's more unusual pieces, Milwaukee Road E-9 37A, shown above. This locomotive hasn't run in 19 years, or so I was told, but was motoring on one of its two engines for the parade. The Parade of Power is always quite a show!

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The "Hicks Locomotive and Car Works" banner at the top is taken from original artwork of the company, which was in business from 1897 to 1911. The picture behind it shows the four restored CA&E wood cars at the Museum, starting with #309, which was built by the Hicks Locomotive and Car Works in 1907.

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